Way back in the early 90s, for better or worse, Dark Horse Comics tried to launch their own superhero universe with new characters all crossing over with each other to establish that sense of community and continuity. GHOST was the only title of that push that I picked up so, in 2012, when it was relaunched by Kelly Sue DeConnick (about whom I’d heard good things) I thought it was worth a go. Thinking back on it, it wasn’t bad; it didn’t just retread old ground but tried to do something a little fresh while still holding on to enough of the original conceit that old fans like me felt as though it were being treated with respect. This issue was the first of a mini-series bringing the character back and, as I say, it did an okay job of it.
Elsewhere, the New 52 was celebrating its birthday with a bunch of #0 issues, some of which retold the characters origin, some introduced new characters, and some were the final issue of series that had launched at the start of the initiative a year before.
Notable for me was the premier issue of THE PHANTOM STRANGER; I’ve longed liked the character and admit to being intrigued by this new take in the New 52 and how he fitted in with Pandora and The Question as part of this Trinity of Sin…
Say what you like about Dan Didio as editor or chief creative officer or whatever else title he had while at DC, but my god he was a writer of terrible dialogue.
Tally this month was 21 issues from DC, and one a piece from Dark Horse (GHOST as mentioned above), Dynamite (THE BOYS), and Marvel (FURY MAX).
Crisis on Earth-Prime 
No new titles this month for me. Resurrection Man ended, and I was still getting Green Arrow, Dial H, and Batman Beyond Unlimited. That last one had a Justice League Unlimited story where they teamed up with Apokolips and New Genesis to fight some immense, world-eating serpent. I think Batman’s trump card is giving Terry Jason Blood’s ashes and Terry unwittingly summoning Etrigan to bond with him. I’d say it was creepy Bruce kept Blood’s ashes, but the dude’s a hoarder.
At Marvel, Secret Avengers, Daredevil’s moving into the “Coyote” story, Captain Marvel, I got the second issue of Hawkeye (but not the first), and Defenders is almost over.
Outside those two, Rocketeer Cargo of Doom, Atomic Robo and the Flying She-Devils of the Pacific, the end of Atomic Robo Real Science Adventures, and Angel & Faith was in a story where Willow’s trying to find a way to return magic to Earth – by traveling into a Hell dimension.
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That reminds me – I picked up and read the first ROCKETEER collection from Comixology. I enjoyed it – good, pulp fun with some lovely art. Thanks for the recommendation.
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Dildo was definitely a HUGE example of only ever being able to write his own books because he was the boss. He had not been, I highly doubt, unless he was REALLY good when it came to kissing ass, that he’d be allowed to write a comic, even if it was z-list character. His “work” on Phantom Stranger and OMAC more than proved this point.
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I picked up the collection of OMAC and while I wasn’t surprised it only lasted six or maybe eight issues, I think it was worth it for Keith Giffen’s art which was part his own style, and part Kirby homage. And, from memory, it was bombastic enough that the writing seemed to work.
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I’d like to think Giffen helped out a lot in that department as well.
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